Vegan Salad Recipes + Toppings + Dressings

Salads just don't get enough credit anymore - they're seen as a dish that you only eat when you're on a strict diet and some even refer to salads as "rabbit food" (especially vegan salad recipes.) I'm here to crush that negativity and make the entire world LOVE salads again. Okay, maybe not the entire world - but perhaps you!

Though, maybe you already adore "rabbit food" and you're just here to add some more healthy vegan salad recipes to your arsenal. Either way, I got your back.

What Makes a Healthy Salad Truly Delicious?

Let's face it - for many of us, a bland romaine salad with some shredded carrots just won't do. It's not filling enough, it's not flavorful, and it's not enjoyable to eat.

Every healthy vegan salad recipe needs texture, lots of flavor, some crunch, and perhaps a little creaminess. Adding different elements keeps your salad from being boring and bland. No "rabbit food" here!

Not every base to a vegan salad has to = lettuce. It could be quinoa, cooked potatoes, beans, some kind of pasta, spinach, kale...even different types of lettuce like arugula or bibb. Variety keeps things interesting!

Once you have your base down, you get to play with toppings. Toppings are my favorite part. Nuts, seeds, croutons, beans, different combinations of veggies and fruits - and of course, unique and flavorful vegan dressings.

15 Hearty Vegan Salads that Will Fill You Up!

Vegan Salad Toppings

There are also so many simple salad toppers you can purchase at the store without having to do any prep work. my favorites are:

Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Sprouts
Sun-dried tomatoes
Nutritional yeast (yummy cheese substitution!)
Raisins or dried cranberries
Various types of nuts
Lima beans
Chickpeas
Lentils

Vegan Salad Dressings

Creamy Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

Roasted Red Pepper Salad Dressing

Garlic Hemp Oil Dressing

Vegan Tzatziki

Apple Cider Vinaigrette - made with real apple cider!

My Favorite Store Bought Dressings

While I love making homemade salad dressing and experimenting with different flavors, sometimes store bought dressings are called for.

Annie's Homegrown Organic has several dressings that I love: Goddess Dressing, Asian Sesame, and Papaya Poppy Seed are a few my favorites - super delicious!
Bragg's also makes a yummy vinaigrette dressing that goes with so many different salads.